A few minutes of activity may cut blood pressure for people with type 2 diabetes

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-11/aha-afm103015.php

Public Release: 9-Nov-2015
A few minutes of activity may cut blood pressure for people with type 2 diabetes
American Heart Association Meeting Report Abstract 712 (Hall A2, Population Science Theater)
American Heart Association

Just a few minutes of light activity for people who sit most of the day - a short stroll or some squats at your desk every thirty minutes - can lower blood pressure for people with Type 2 diabetes, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2015.

Researchers tracked blood pressure levels in 24 overweight and obese adults with Type 2 diabetes as they sat for eight hours. Participants either took 3-minute walking breaks averaging a speed about 2 miles per hour (mph) or did 3-minutes of simple resistance exercises every half-hour. Compared to uninterrupted sitting:

Light walking was linked to an average 10-point drop in systolic blood pressure (the top number in a blood pressure reading).

Simple resistance activities were associated with an average 12-point drop in systolic blood pressure.

"It appears you don't have to do very much," said co-author Bronwyn Kingwell, Ph.D., head of Metabolic and Vascular Physiology at the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes in Melbourne, Australia. "We saw some marked blood pressure reductions over trial days when people did the equivalent of walking to the water cooler or some simple body-weight movements on the spot."

Having both Type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure can significantly increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

Previous research has shown that sitting for long periods of time raises risks of obesity, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high cholesterol and cardiovascular disease, and that short bouts of physical activity can lower blood pressure in overweight non-diabetic people.

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